Independents

Oregon Is Recruiting a Former Recruit Who Signed With UW

<p><a href="http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/huskyhoops/ncb_g_calipari_600.jpg"><img src="http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/huskyhoops/assets_c/2010/05/ncb_g_calipari_600-thumb-600x400-14547.jpg" height="400" alt="ncb_g_calipari_600.jpg" style="text-align: center; display: block; margin: 0 auto 20px;" width="600"></a></p>
<p>Oregon coach <strong>Dana Altman</strong> told the <a href="http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/web/sports/24840453-41/altman-coach-ducks-oregon-spring.csp">Register-Guard</a> he's recruiting <strong>Roburt Sallie</strong> <em>(above, left)</em>, a 6-foot-5, 196-pound wing who has ties with Washington.</p>
<p>Before <strong>Charles Garcia</strong>, there was Sallie, who also signed with the Huskies in 2005 but was not admitted because of academic concerns. Sallie's story is even more bizarre than <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/seattleuniversity/2010527202_seattleu17.html">Garcia's saga</a>.</p>
<p>Sallie returned to prep school and committed to Nebraska, but was denied entry by the NCAA even though he hired an attorney and got sworn affidavits from his high school and prep teachers who vouched he performed the required academic work. The NCAA still said no.</p>
<p>Sallie returned home to Sacramento where he enrolled at City College of San Francisco and became the California JUCO Player of the year, averaging 17 points per game.</p>
<p>Recruited for a third time, he landed at Memphis where he was coached by <strong>John Calipari</strong> <em>(above, right)</em>.</p>
<p>Sallie didn't play his first two years at Memphis. He averaged 5.8 points in 2008-09 under Calipari and 10.5 points last season.</p>
<p>Sallie is graduating from Memphis in August and would have a year of eligibility remaining. He considered playing overseas, but now looks as if he's got his sights on returning to college and perhaps haunting the Huskies.</p>
<p>Sallie has shown the ability to score in bunches, tallying 35 points against Cal State Northridge in the '08-09 season. He's also a very good three-point shooter who shot better than 40 percent behind the arc during two years with the Tigers.</p>
<p><strong>FRIDAY MORNING LINKS:</strong></p>
<p>--- <strong>Bud Withers</strong> had a conversation with LSU coach <strong>Trent Johnson</strong>, who explained why he hired <strong>Lynn Nance</strong>, 67, the former Washington coach who was <a href="http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/budwithers/2011944113_withers28.html">accused of racism by black players</a>. Nance, who went through chemotherapy and radiation to combat lymphoma, said accusations were false, but damaging to his career and personal health.</p>
<p>"Two things have happened to me I thought I was going to die from," he said. "The first was when I got diagnosed with cancer, the other is when I got accused of racism by a parent. That hit me harder than the cancer diagnosis did."</p>
<p>--- Oregon is moving on without assistant <strong>Kenny Payne</strong> who followed Portland-area standout <strong>Terrence Jones</strong> and <a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/05/oregon_basketball_altman_confi.html">took a job with Kentucky</a>. <a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/behindducksbeat/2010/05/new_oregon_basketball_assistan.html">The Oregonian</a> takes a look at <strong>Brian Fish</strong>, who is the only current assistant on Altman's coaching staff.</p>
<p>--- UCLA guard <strong>Malcolm Lee</strong> will have <a href="http://insidesocal.com/ucla/2010/05/malcolm.html">arthroscopic surgery on his right knee</a> next week and will require 4-6 weeks to recover.</p>
<p>--- USC coach <strong>Kevin O'Neil</strong> talked to the <a href="http://usc.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/26/usc-basketball-transfers-have-what-oneill-wants/39955/">Orange County Register</a> about team's three transfers. The newcomers are: guard <strong>Jio Fontan</strong>, who will be eligible December 2010 and forward <strong>Aaron Fuller</strong> and center <strong>DeWayne Dedmon</strong> who will be eligible in the fall of 2011.</p>
<p>--- O'Neil also discussed the departure of seldom-used guard <strong>Percy "Lil' Romeo" Miller</strong> and told the newspaper: ""Percy thought it was in his best interest that he pursue his (entertainment) career rather than play basketball. ... I was able to evaluate him. I think<a href="http://usc.freedomblogging.com/2010/05/26/usc-basketball-oneill-on-departure-of-lil-romeo/39905/"> his future is more off the court than on the court</a>, which I think he understands."</p>

Before Charles Garcia, there was Sallie, who also signed with the Huskies in 2005 but was not admitted because of academic concerns. Sallie's story is even more bizarre than Garcia's saga.

Sallie returned to prep school and committed to Nebraska, but was denied entry by the NCAA even though he hired an attorney and got sworn affidavits from his high school and prep teachers who vouched he performed the required academic work. The NCAA still said no.

Sallie returned home to Sacramento where he enrolled at City College of San Francisco and became the California JUCO Player of the year, averaging 17 points per game.

Latest on FanVsFan

The lone batting champion in Angels history has lost his battle withcancer. Johnson was 72 years old, and was (and still is) the Angels'lonebatting champion, hitting .329 in1970 for the 'California' Angels. The Detroit native was a very good ballplayer who stood out for a number of teams.Bobbie Dittmeier has more on this story over at MLB.com. O...